Fabrication of reactive poly(vinyl alcohol) membranes for prevention of bone cement leakage

Leakage of bone cement into the spinal canal has been reported to cause many adverse effects. In this study, we designed an implantable balloon kyphoplasty material that avoids cement leakage through the formation of covalent bonds with the bone cement. For this purpose, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was used as a reactive functional group attached to the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membrane. The prepared membrane adhered to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based bone cements within 10 min, which is the time required for PMMA polymerization in the bone cement. The bonding strength between the GMA-PVA membrane and the PMMA-based bone cement was higher than that for the original PVA membrane, likely because vinyl bonds form between the surface of the GMA-PVA membrane and the bone cement. Since the GMA-PVA membrane adhered firmly to the PMMA-based bone cement, the membrane was able to completely cover the PMMA-based bone cement.